


Camden Lock

by Nara_stories



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, And Sulking, Davos is sexy, Flirting, London, M/M, Stannis is cute, half shameless ship, half tourist guide, trying to seem british
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-10
Updated: 2017-09-10
Packaged: 2018-12-26 04:01:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12050877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nara_stories/pseuds/Nara_stories
Summary: Stannis just goes for a walk. He doesn't plan on falling in love with a stranger.





	Camden Lock

**Author's Note:**

> Modern AU, where Stannis is a law student, and Davos is living on a narrow boat, travelling through the canals of London. Well, Stannis probably acts a bit younger in this than in the canon... but then in a modern world you don't have to defend castles in your teens I guess...

Water always had a calming effect on Stannis. He liked to walk along the Thames or the canals of London whenever he had a free afternoon, or he just felt like he needed to clear his head out a bit. Law school of course didn’t leave him with much free time, but he preferred to spend that little alone, rather than in the company of others.  
He had an important exam yesterday, so on this spring, Wednesday afternoon, he decided, he deserves to come out of his college room, where he usually spent most of his time studying.  
The air was nice and mild, but a blanket of heavy, grey clouds hung on the sky above the city. The wind was still a bit chilly as it fluttered the open wings of Stannis’ jacket, but he didn’t close them, because he liked the way the crisp air cooled his body.  
At first, his was still thinking about yesterday’s exam, whether he did well enough, but after a couple of minutes he allowed his thoughts to slow down, and wander, which he didn’t really do when being around other people.

Robert, his Casanova brother always said, the years at the university will be the best time of his life, but Stannis remained sceptical. And now, that he had only one year left of the four years of his basic studies, he just couldn’t wait to finish and move on to further studies, and then throw himself into practical work and find a responsible job as soon as possible. If he could, he would have taken up even more courses at once, just to be done with it. This declaration always horrified his classmates, who said he probably wasn’t allowed to play as a child, because it’s just not normal, that after completing one mentally straining task, someone would immediately search for the next, without stopping even for a second to take a break.

Stannis didn’t care about their opinion. Sheer play had no use, and although he recognised that regularly resting a little is beneficial, as it prevents him from burning out, he still didn’t want to spend his time with such pointless activities as drinking, or fleeting relationships. He wanted to learn, to work, and to become a useful part of society as soon as possible. 

He wasn’t good at dating anyways, because it was usually at this point when his companion started to laugh disbelievingly, upon which Stannis, for lack of better reaction, just made some stinging comment and turned around with tightly pressed lips to walk away.

Therefore he enjoyed being alone far more, like now, when he didn’t have to meet anyone’s expectation, or make himself seem entertaining.

He was walking with unhurried steps along the narrow pathway, which was separated from the houses by a high brick wall, while watching the ducks swim peacefully on the water. On the other side of the canal there were a couple of grass-covered areas, where some stray flowers even poked their heads out of the ground to try and battle with the cold spring of London. But Stannis’ attention was mostly caught when a narrow boat drifted down the canal, or just docked somewhere along the bank. The colourfully painted bodies of them provided a vivid patch in this mostly grey-wrapped city.  
Stannis curiously read their names, and even allowed himself that foolish fantasy, to imagine, what would be like to live on one of these canal boats.

Not that he would seriously, _ever_ move to such a wobbly object. Only hippies did such thing, who gave up every sensible walk of life, drifted to the periphery of society, smoked weed, and ate baked beans from the can.

But on these walks, when only the chirping of birds and the sloshing sound of water broke the silence, he played with the idea that it would be the most peaceful thing in the world to slowly float through the city on the canals, dock in a basin, and be lulled into sleep by the gently rocking boat. Maybe, one day, when he’ll have kids, he could buy a little boat, learn how to drive it and take his family down on the weekends.

As he left the Regent’s Park behind him, and after a few minutes of walking, he reached Camden, and the liveliness came back to his surroundings. The bustle of the city became once more noticeable, which Stannis accepted resignedly, because in London one can hardly be alone for one minute. He bought a coffee, so that he could sip it slowly and give himself excuse for looking around.  
He’s forehead wrinkled up again as he struggled through the crowd that was still better on this weekday afternoon, than if you would come around here on the weekends.  
Stannis finally reached the canal cradling his coffee cup. He sent unfriendly looks towards everyone and tried not to admit even to himself that he would be jealous of the alternative folks of Camden, who couldn’t care less for the unspoken laws of normality, wore their hair as colourfully as they wanted and shamelessly held hands with the one who their heart desired. 

He didn’t have any reason to be jealous. To the despair of his little brother – who was going through a punk phase at the moment –, Stannis was hopelessly _normal_ , and didn’t feel any urge to self-expression, because it probably would have only manifested in navy jackets and the reading of thick, historical books anyways. And he didn’t have any _problem_ with his sexuality either, thank you very much, just because he didn’t start salivating when he was faced with a pair of openly displayed boobs.

Stannis turned his back on the busy market and let the sight of the water calm his nerves again. He leaned his elbows on the black and white fence and observed with carefully hidden childish excitement as a boat neared the twin lock.  
The body of the boat was painted red and green, and the underside was decorated with black and white stripes. On the side, in a little framed area golden letters declared with pride, that it is called the _Shayala’s Dance_. As the boat came closer, Stannis could make out the little lucky charms that hung from the small windows and from the side of the boat.

While sipping his coffee, Stannis watched as the boat stopped a couple of metres from the underside of the lock, two crew members quickly jumped to the shore, and swiftly opened the pair of heavy looking gates, so that the boat could comfortably swim to the shallow water of the chamber. After that, they’ve closed the gates in a similar fashion.  
Then the third member stepped out as well, and looped a rope around the bollard, to keep it from bumping to the sides of the lock. She didn’t tie it though, just held it securely always adjusting to the movement of the boat.

The other two walked to the upper end of the lock, and with something that looked like a bent piece of metal they’ve turned a couple of times on the winding gear. As a result, the water started flowing in a thin stream and filling up the chamber.

By the time that happened, Stannis finished his coffee, and he had time to observe the crew of the narrow boat, who fit the stereotypes well. The two middle-aged men wore joggers, one of them piled his long dreadlocks on top of his head, and the woman wore a long, colourful skirt, with dangly, feather earrings, which didn’t seem to hinder her in carrying out the physical tasks connected to boating.

Meanwhile, a small crowd formed around Stannis, from bystanders, who watched the scene just as curiously, which for the crew was part of everyday life. Some tourist even took pictures on their phone or camera, but the fact, that they’ve got audience, didn’t seem to faze the crew at all.  
After the level of the water equalled out with the level of the upper part of the canal, the woman got back on the boat, and the other two started opening the upper gates of the lock. The boat then leisurely swam out to the canal, briefly sliding next to the shore, to pick the two men up, and then slowly continued its journey to the direction from which Stannis came from.

Stannis just started thinking about why they’ve left one of the half-gates open, when he spotted another narrow boat coming from the direction, in which the other one just slipped away. In Stannis’ opinion, this one was much nicer than the previous one. It was almost completely black, with only a couple of golden lines running along the sides, and the floor of the stern was painted a rich shade of red. Stannis appreciatively read the name of it: _Black Betha_.

The little boat slipped into the chamber through the only open half of the gate with terrific skilfulness, avoiding the sides by an inch. Stannis wondered why nobody got out opening the other half and making the manoeuvre easier.

But then, the man steering the boat jumped out on the opposite side to Stannis and tied the boat to one of the bollards with practiced moves. He made some kind of complicated hitch, then not wasting a second, he promptly stepped to the open gate, and closed it with one strong, but precise move.  
Stannis watched mesmerized, as the man reached for the rope again, untied it, and then gently pushed on his boat with one of his boots, so that it doesn’t bump into the bricks. Stannis admired the practiced skills of the man, and decided that he doesn’t look hippy-ish at all.

Yes, he had a beard, but just like his brown hair, it was neatly trimmed. He wore jeans, and a light coloured Henley with the sleeves rolled up, exposing his sun-kissed, strong forearms. Overall he looked more like a thirty-something married guy from the suburbs, than someone who lived on a boat on London’s canals.

Then their eyes met, and Stannis realized, he’s staring. He quickly snapped his gaze away.

“Hey, you! Would you help me out a little?” shouted the man, making Stannis automatically look at him again. For his utter disbelief, the man was still looking at him. He glanced around confused, but now he was stared at by the other bystanders as well. He felt his face heating up, as he turned back to the boat and his owner.  
He cleared his throat.  
“Me?” he asked in confusion.  
A broad smile appeared on the man’s face, and Stannis felt like it sent tingling sparks down his spine.  
“Yes, you strong, young man,” confirmed the other man on a soft, friendly voice. “I’m alone, as you can see, and I shouldn’t really let go of the boat, to open the gates.”

Stannis was still confused, but the man cheerfully waved him closer. Were they alone, Stannis probably would have refused the request, but under the gaze of the crowd, he didn’t want to back out. So, he disregarded the sign that said, only ship owners could go to the lock, and climbed over the low fence. This act in itself was such a rebellious thing, that he would have never done otherwise, but it was still better than making a fool of himself in front of so many witnesses.

The man smiled at him appreciatively and urged him further.  
“Come over to this side!”  
Stannis flexed his jaw, and tried not to look absolutely terrified. Because the only way, through which he could get there was the thin footbridge over the gates, which at least had a handrail, but underneath there were around one and a half metres of nothing gaping over the water.  
But Stannis already agreed to help, so he quickly braced himself and slowly made his way to the other side.

The man’s smile turned even brighter and friendlier if that was possible. He changed hands on the rope and reached his right one to Stannis.  
“I’m Davos, nice to meet you.”  
Luckily Stannis was able to stutter his own name out, as he desperately tried not to focus on the bulging muscles of Davos’ left arm. He scolded himself. This never happened with him. Especially not with thirty-something guys. 

Davos pulled out a piece of metal from his belt that was similar to the one the other crew was using, and offered it to Stannis, who reluctantly took it. It looked a little bit like something you would use to change the tires of the cars, but it was bent with two different sized sockets at the end.  
“So, the only thing you have to do is to go over, ease like a dozen turns on the gear with the windlass,” Davos pointed to the rack and pinion mechanism of the lock while explaining. “Then you come back, do the same thing on this side, and then we just have to wait, till the water flows out. “

Stannis noticed, that Davos had a slight West Country accent, which he found really pleasant, combined with his deep voice. 

Hearing the instructions, he wanted to argue, that maybe he should just stay here, and take over holding the boat, because that didn’t sound as complicated, but Davos ushered him towards the lock, with a friendly, but confident gesture. Stannis didn’t know how he can be so sure, that he won’t mess up anything, but he was unable to reject such trust.  
He walked over to the other side, and looked at the key in his hand.  
“Use the smaller socket for this!” shouted Davos helpfully from the other side, just when Stannis started to wonder which one of the two, rectangular openings he should choose. “And pull out that T-key first!” Davos added, still with that cheerful voice, like he was genuinely _happy_ , that Stannis is willing to help him. 

Stannis concentrated with knitted brows on the task at hand, and after a little observation, he was in fact able to figure out how the gear worked. When he walked back to the other side, the footbridge didn’t seem nearly as scary as before. He repeated the same steps, and then he watched, not without pride, how the water starts to steam out on the other side of the gate, making the Black Betha slowly sink with the water level.

Davos appreciatively clapped his shoulder when he when he got there. At first, Stannis jumped a little at the touch, because he never liked, when his personal space was violated without his permission, but Davos radiated so much goodwill, that it didn’t even feel that bad coming from him.

“Do you always go boating on your own?” asked Stannis just to fill out the silence between them. Maybe his voice ended up being a bit accusing, but Davos didn’t seem to take it upon himself.  
“Sometimes my friends come with me,” shrugged Davos, meanwhile flexing the rope to hold the boat in the middle. ”Or one of my siblings, and let me tell you, I have quite a few of them.” He added with a laugh. “But if I don’t have any company, that doesn’t hold me back either. Some locks have lock-keepers, and if they don’t, I always manage to find a helping hand.” He winked at Stannis, and it made him feel a bit hot for some reason. Davos was charming, and it was not easy to ignore it.

When the water in the chamber levelled out with the lower part of the canal, Stannis followed Davos’ instructions and completely opened the paddle, then rolled the sleeves of his jacket up, and put his weight into opening the gate. He didn’t do any physical work in a long time, and now it somehow felt refreshing, as his muscles strained working the heavy mechanism. Davos then stepped back into his boat, and steered it out to the open water of the canal with the same elegance as he did previously.  
Stannis let the gate fall closed, then turned the gear back in place with the key. In that moment, he realised that the tool was still in his hands so he shouted after the boat.  
Davos turned back, then stopped the engine and steered the boat to the edge of the water. Stannis understood the hint, so he went through the footbridge one last time, and walked down the stairs on the shore to catch up with the boat.  
Meanwhile Davos even secured the Betha with a rope, so that they don’t drift further. 

Stannis gave back the lock key to Davos. He couldn’t help but be disappointed that their little adventure has already come to an end. But Davos looked him in the eye and easily asked:  
“Don’t you want to come with me for a while?”  
The offer surprised Stannis. He cleared his throat.  
“Where are you going?” he asked, trying to seem cool.  
“I’m heading to Limehouse, but I could drop you off anytime you want,” Davos offered.

Stannis was hesitant. He didn’t have anywhere to be, but the mentioned destination was on the opposite end of the city, so it would have taken him a while to get back from there. It was also very much not typical of him, to just recklessly jump on a stranger’s boat. Davos could probably feel his uncertainty.  
“Oh, come on, have mercy on me, lad! There will be a couple more locks I need to open,” pleaded Davos disarmingly. From him, the pet name didn’t sound derogatory, even as Stannis was already in his twenties, and he didn’t deserve to be regarded as a kid. But from Davos, even that sounded comforting, just like a friendly hair-ruffling.

Stannis didn’t know what kind of craziness took over him, but he found himself nodding. Davos’ face was lit up again by that smile that made the corners of his eyes crinkle. He reached his hand out towards him, and Stannis took it, a bit clumsily stepping up to the stern. Davos’ hand was dry and pleasantly warm, and Stannis could feel the calluses in the base of his fingers even from the brief touch.

It was a little bit like a dream, when they set off. Stannis could barely believe, that he was indeed, standing here, on the tiny stern of a narrow boat, in a company of a stranger, and he is just about to travel through the city.  
Davos gave him time to organize his thoughts, he just silently steered the boat, and this silence didn’t feel uncomfortable at all, even as the small space didn’t let them keep the kind of distance, Stannis usually liked to stick to.  
Stannis took a deep breath from the misty air, and then he released it slowly, allowing himself to relax. He curiously peeked through the door that led into the cabin, and then, because there was no other way to get comfortable, after hesitating a bit, he pulled himself up, and sat on the low top of the boat.  
The clouds above them started to clear up from the wind, and after a while even a few cautious rays of sunlight peeked out, glimmering on the water, and conjuring golden little sparks into Davos’ brown eyes.

“You would have managed to do this on your own, didn’t you?” asked Stannis the first thing that came to his mind. He was just as surprised, but this time there was no offensive edge to his words.  
A barely visible smile lifted the corners of Davos’ lips. It almost disappeared in his beard and Stannis never though he could find something like this so attractive.  
“Yes,” he admitted. “But you know, my philosophy is that I rather ask for help, than to risk my own or my boats safety. There’s no shame in that. If you finally bring yourself to ask for something, you will always be surprised how many people are willing to help.”

Stannis silently contemplated his words, and rather looked at the trees lining the shores, so that he doesn’t have to look in the other man’s eyes. He never thought about it this way. He always tried to solve things out of his own power, and he was sure, that even if he humiliated himself with asking for help, he would only be met with refusal.  
But now he, who didn’t think himself to be much of a good-doer, was willing to go out of his way to help this stranger. And he didn’t look down on Davos at all, because he asked for help, so there could be some truth to his words after all.

Or was it all about the attitude? Davos was so cheerful and friendly, he could win over anyone. But who would help _him_?

“And you are really _living_ on this boat?” Stannis asked instead.  
Davos nodded. He was leaning against the railing and steering the boat. He took turns watching the water and watching Stannis, the happiness not leaving his features for a second. He looked completely content to just be here, drift down the canal in the company of Stannis. That slowly made Stannis relax as well.  
He didn’t think about the things he will have to do tomorrow, or how he will manage to get home in the evening. He was just okay with feeling the fresh air on his face, and hearing the lazy rippling of the water.  
Here, on his small canal boat, he could finally feel like he found shelter from the daily hustle, safely surrounded by the water. Even though he wasn’t technically alone, the presence of Davos didn’t make him feel discomfort, not even a slight bit.  
“A couple of years ago I was living in a flat as well,” Davos answered. “The Betha was just a hobby and kind of happy place for the weekend. Then we broke up with Marya. It happens. You think it will last forever, and suddenly something just disappears. And you both just stand there and wonder where it’s gone, and what you did wrong,” Davos trailed off. “Anyways. It was nice, as long as it lasted, and then I let her keep the flat, because I have the Betha,” Davos finished with a smile.  
Stannis was surprised, how easily Davos told him about his failed relationship.  
“But it can’t be so easy to find someone with a boat, right?” he asked, and again, Davos luckily didn’t seem to mind his rough manners. 

“Oh, you have no idea, how many people are drawn by the charm of the unusual,” Davos winked at him, and Stannis had to try really hard, so it doesn’t show how that makes him feel. “Time and again there was always a free-spirited woman, or an adventurous man, who wanted join me on my boat,” continued Davos easily, seemingly oblivious to the effect his words had on Stannis. But from this close he couldn’t have possibly overlooked how Stannis blushed, swallowed and then turned his head away. Still, he added with a laugh: “I just couldn’t found someone so far, that would be even half as fond of me, than of the Betha. Because that’s what matters after all, doesn’t it? If someone wants to be with me, but not live on a boat, well, my Betha can be a weekend hobby again, right?”

But Stannis couldn’t really concentrate on the last few sentences. He was too occupied with keeping his breathing in check, trying not to squirm too much, and not to be so damn embarrassed. Those quickly flattering butterflies in his stomach couldn’t possibly be from the gentle rocking of the boat, more from the revelation that Davos is definitely flirting with him. Or at least is interested in him.  
Why on earth would he have found it necessary to state otherwise that even though Marya was a woman, not all of his partners are?  
Stannis found it terribly unfair, that he was “confronted” with this after being invited to the boat, here, just with the two of them, where he couldn’t even escape. He flexed his jaw and tried to express this with betrayed silence.

But Davos didn’t break the silence for a long time. He was steering the boat just as peacefully as before, now and then glancing at Stannis. As if silently sending the message: _There’s that, lad. Deal with it, take your time, and figure out what you want to do about it._

Maybe it was for the peaceful environment, or the increasingly bright sunrays, but Stannis couldn’t keep up his sulking for long. He sighed softly and then let his gaze wander back to Davos again. Davos smiled at him, and this time Stannis didn’t fight the warmth that flooded him.

Davos didn’t want to mock him. He genuinely liked him, and there was nothing wrong with it, if Stannis found that pleasant. So he let their gazes lock.

Davos kept his right hand on the tiller, while absentmindedly stroking his beard with the left. Stannis noticed that on his left hand, there was a thin, symmetrical scar across every one of his fingers by the first digit. And because Stannis couldn’t act smooth if his life depended on it, he managed to ask the most intrusive question:  
“What happened with your hand?”

But Davos answered him straight.  
“Childhood accident. I would spare you the grim details. But the modern medicine can sometimes do wonders, don’t you think?” he held up his left hand and observed it. “They’ve stitched my fingertips back.”  
Stannis shivered, and was glad indeed, that Davos didn’t tell the story in details. Before he knew it, his hand was reaching out to touch Davos’. He stopped midway, and quickly snatched his hand back.  
Davos chuckled, then while still keeping his right hand on the tiller, reached his palm towards Stannis.  
“Go ahead.”

Stannis slowly took Davos’ hand in his own and then curiously smoothed his thumb over the raised scars. They were a bit ragged, but other than that there was nothing odd about them.  
“I feel a bit less with those fingers, but aside from that the function perfectly,” Davos added, when Stannis stroked one of his fingertips. After long seconds, he felt like, he should really let go of the man’s hand now, so with knitted brows, he tried to make his hands obey. It was hard.  
Davos turned his palm down and stroked the back of Stannis’ hand. Stannis closed his eyes for a second.  
By this time it became obvious for both of them, that he is not indifferent towards Davos either. And maybe because Stannis admitted it, he felt much more relaxed on the rest of their journey.

They have talked about everything. Stannis told Davos that he was studying law, upon which Davos reacted with honest appreciation. They have talked – and complained – about their siblings. They have talked about books, music and people. Stannis felt like as the time has passed the age difference, or the fact that they barely knew each other, became less and less noticeable.  
Meanwhile Davos taught a lot of interesting things about boats to Stannis, who was always happy to help with the locks.  
Stannis sometimes even found himself genuinely smiling, and everyone who knew him, could tell that it was a rare sight. 

Even though Davos promised to drop Stannis off, wherever he wants, he ended up not asking him to. When they’ve reached the harbour where Davos was staying, the sun has already started to set. Davos steered his boat into place with practice, and Davos helped him tie it out securely. But before he could start saying goodbye, in the fear that he would bother the man for too long, Davos burst out:  
“You haven’t even seen the Bertha from the inside!” he slapped his forehead, as they would have forgotten something very important. Stannis followed him inside, quite relieved, that the goodbye has been postponed.

In the inside of the little narrow boat, every inch was cleverly utilized. If you stepped in through the back door, you got to the kitchen and dining area. On the left, there was a tiny cooking area, with a fridge, an electric stove, and on the right side, there was a small table that could maybe fit four people, if they really pressed close to each other. Along the walls, there were creative storage spaces, and on the small windows, there were sheer curtains, just like in a real house. Davos proudly showed everything to Stannis from the hidden cupboards to every clever little solution.  
The other room, in the front of the boat was the bedroom. Here there was a built in wardrobe, a small desk and a pull-out bed.  
Davos guided Stannis out on the front door, where you could even sit on two small stools.  
Stannis decided that while the boat was quite simple, it was also very cozy. Yes, it was small, but it made him feel even more like he was in a safe little den. If he was honest to himself, he also didn’t mind that the lack of space made them brush every now and then. 

After he showed him the whole boat, Davos turned to him:  
“Are you hungry?” he asked.  
Stannis didn’t respond straight away. Actually, he was indeed quite hungry, but he hesitated once more, if it was a good decision to stay even longer.  
But then Davos looked at him with those warm, brown eyes.  
“Oh, come on, I’ve dragged you through the city. Let me at least invite you for dinner!”  
And Stannis was once more unable to say no to him. Davos brightened up, when he agreed, started planning what he could cook from the ingredients on the boat.

When after half an hour, they sat down with two steaming bowls of food, Stannis realised, that he probably needed this to finally believe that this wasn’t something Davos repeated every week with someone else. He could believe, that he man often asked for help with the locks, even that he invited people over every now and then. But to spend the whole afternoon with someone on his boat, then invite him for dinner, and not enjoy that person’s company, that was very unlikely.

Stannis didn’t remember when the last time was, when he felt so good. After dinner, he helped Davos clean up, but then he glanced at his watch and realised that now he should really set off. 

Davos offered that he will walk him out to the gate, but they both stopped when they stepped out of the boat. The harbour was lower than the street, separated with a tall wall and the darkness was hiding them from the other boat owners as well. Stannis leaned against the wall.  
“Thank you for the dinner,” he said.  
“And thank you for the help,” Davos answered. He stepped closer, and leaned one hand on the wall. They locked eyes with each other. Stannis has never felt so vulnerable, yet so secure in his life, as now, getting lost in Davos’ brown eyes, while not even trying to control his face or emotions.  
Davos slipped his gaze down to his lips, and then very slowly leaned closer. Stannis sharply breathed in through his nose, which made his lungs fill up with the masculine scent of the other. He forced himself to stay still, but when Davos’ face was only a few inches away from his, he couldn’t help, but close his eyes. 

He shivered as he felt Davos’ breath against his skin, and then his lips, as they barely brushed to his, in a soft, fleeting touch. His beard lightly tickled his face. But then, Davos pulled back.  
Stannis opened his eyes, his forehead wrinkled up in confusion. He licked his lips involuntarily, disappointed. 

Stannis never liked, when he didn’t get what he wanted. And right now, he wanted that kiss from Davos more than anything.  
But the man spoke up softly, like he was only speaking to himself.  
“No,” he whispered, watching Stannis’ face intently. “If I kiss you now, I think you will never come back.”  
Stannis wanted to argue, to be offended. But then he realised that Davos was right.  
Maybe it would be just too much. Or he would get scared, ashamed, and he would talk himself out of it, convince himself that this afternoon didn’t mean that much as it really meant...  
But like this, that this so far unfamiliar want pulsed in him, he knew there is no negative thought or rational argument that could hold him back from seeing Davos again.  
He took a deep breath, and then slowly released it, trying not to look hurt. He wondered how this man managed to figure out him in an afternoon. 

“I will see you soon,” he answered with a short nod.  
Davos smiled at him. He pulled out his phone and gave his number to Stannis.  
“Call me anytime. And come to visit,” he asked, saying goodbye. Stannis smiled slightly.  
“Of course. I will come back, Davos,” he promised honestly. 

Stannis left the harbour with a spring in his step. Sitting on the tube, he thought that he might not be that normal after all. Maybe nobody was. Maybe nobody had to.  
He got a glimpse of his own face in the window of the train. He realised that he is smiling.  
He quickly got his expression back under control, and really tried not to look like the fool who just fell in love with a boatman. He wasn’t sure he succeeded.

**Author's Note:**

> This is a translation of a fic I wrote in Hungarian a while back. But there is really not enough appreciation for this ship in the hungarian community, so I decided that this story deserves a second go. :P
> 
> So be gentle please, I'm not a native speaker ^^" I was living in London for a while, that was when this fic was born :)
> 
> Also, only read the books. Just saying :P
> 
> Comments are of course very much appreciated :)


End file.
